The $2500 Wine Cellar, part 2

Continuing on with Zinfandel, Syrah and Cab Franc

Nalle makes a lean, strict style of Zinfandel which can be a bit underwhelming on release, particularly if you’re in the market for a fruit bomb. With time, the pure strawberry fruit typical of Nalle’s Zins adds layers of subtle earth and wood-driven complexities.

Thanks for the picks, Greg! I can't wait for your nebbiolo selectiions for the cellar.

As someone who is just beginning to build a modest collection, I am interested in your concluding point about lesser vintages. This subject confuses me a bit. Sure, a great vintage could produce a bigger wine. A bigger wine could use more time in bottle to mellow and show its nuances. One the other hand, an off vintage often comes from less ripe grapes. Less ripe grapes produce wines with lower ABV and higher acidity. But isn't that the formula for long term aging?

The 2007 Barolo is a good case study. This is considered a great vintage but it is ady to drink nows, in its youth.

Thanks for pointing me back to the thread. I guess I had a "DOH" moment yesterday! Found an interesting comment you made: "Bucklin’s Old Hill Ranch is very likely the oldest Zinfandel vineyard in California." If you're not familiar with Nichelini Wines in the Chiles Valley, they may have the oldest Zinfandel vineyard. They've been making wine since before 1900... http://www.nicheliniwinery.com